Willie Sylvester, a 29-year-old resident of New Orleans, has been sentenced to 24 months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition. The sentencing follows his guilty plea and was delivered by Chief U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown on March 12, 2025. After serving his sentence, Sylvester will undergo three years of supervised release and is required to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
Court documents reveal that between April and September 2020, detectives from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office investigated Sylvester for an April shooting incident. During this period, Sylvester posted several social media messages displaying weapons and admitted in one message to firing a gun during the incident before suffering a gunshot wound to his hand.
Federal law prohibits individuals with felony convictions from possessing ammunition. Sylvester's criminal record includes a conviction for simple robbery in May 2013 and multiple felony offenses related to firearms and controlled substances in November 2014.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence by fostering trust within communities, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes. The initiative involves collaboration among various levels of law enforcement.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed from the Violent Crime Unit is prosecuting the case.
